Not a review but an observation after this first night with this light. AND notice they are on the way to a mailbox near you. :+1:
Mine came today and I eagerly awaited the dark night (no moon) then finally got out to “see what I could see.”
I went out an hour ago with the IF25A and my C8F (21700) host (I put together last March using 18g wire throughout and shaved XPLs which run about 5.5k after slicing).
This is the 4k version of the IF25A and so I didn’t expect a lot of throw compared to the C8F. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as it kept up pretty good. The beam is nice and WIDE and very natural at 4K of course. I ran it on turbo for about a minute and felt the heat coming down the tube pretty quick though! Not super hot, but about as warm as can be comfortably held on a June night in Kansas.
I looked down a fence line (I use as a gauge of distance as it starts in my back yard and runs about 150 yards going away from me at a slight angle). I could see the wooden fence posts VERY clearly out to 150 yards with the C8F. Then swapping the Sofirn 21700 (4000mah) stock battery between lights, I was able to barely see the same fence post with the IF25A, but the “field of view” (of the “field” to the side of the fence that I “viewed”) was really nice and wide as mentioned.
Light came in a nicer color printed box with the acetate light holder inside and included: the 18650 tube, a NICE, long USB charge cord, spare o-rings, and a fitting lanyard (with the nicer THIN end loop). There is a smaller notch on the tail cap that this lanyard can JUST get through- and I LIKE it because it fits the form factor of the light.
This is a small light for a 21700 battery. Everything in this design seems to me to be about getting a 21700 light that can be used as an EDC light. No clip, but this light easily slipped into my gym shorts pocket and didn’t feel heavy for my short trip to the backyard just now. The trade-off in head mass compared to the C8F means it heats up fast driving the four LEDs at top output— BUT it does drive them! Out to 150 yards, the little IF25A keeps up with the C8F build pretty nicely all around.
If I were technical back packing (like I did in the 80s) where every ounce counted… this light would be the perfect pack light. And given the USB charging, small form factor, and 4k output and solid, wide throw past 100 yards… this light will be going in my hunting pack (next to my C8F rifle lights). With a 4800mah 21700 battery it should run for days as a hand carry in normal use. And the USB charging is really a luxury as a charge is a car (or solar) charger away while out in the wild for a week.
The heat factor might not make it the best muggle light though. I’ve ran some of my C8Fs hot a few times, and they certainly can get warm. But the IF25A got hot pretty quick running on turbo for less than a minute. While I always WANT the light run 100% full out when I run up to a turbo setting… it’s rare that I ask more than a medium brightness beam 95% of the time in normal use. With that, the IF25A gets the job done and packs some output and throw not usually found in smaller lights like this little beast.
The IF25A will make an excellent addition to the “Sofirn shelf” until September when it will see service through the winter at camp and whenever I’m on the road to about anywhere